Garage sale success!

I love me some garage sales! After having Daniel, I realized that babies grow fast...very fast. And this means that they often need new clothes. I have found some of the most adorable outfits at garage sales for next to nothing. It is like a treasure hunt, trying to track down these fabulous bargains. I hit pay dirt last weekend and found several garage sales with little boy clothes in exactly Daniel's size. I am pretty picky...the clothes have to look virtually new...no stains, no holes, no fading. Some of the things I found on Friday looked like no one had even worn them. Yipee! Here is a peek at what I got for around $15.


And here is a tricycle we found for $10. It is a little big for Daniel now, but it won't be long until he is racing around the driveway on it.

Fruit of his labor

Brian is the gardener in our family. He has planted, watered, and tended our garden all summer long. I have a few planters and flower pots on the deck, but other than that, Brian takes care of everything that is green and growing on our premise. His big success this year has been okra. We love it fried but are hoping to pickle some too. The tomatoes have done alright, and last week we accumulated enough to can some salsa. I shouldn't say "we" because once again, Brian handled that chore from beginning to end. Daniel and I were running some errands in town, and when we got home Brian was putting the lids on 11 pints of salsa. We have already downed one jar, and I must say, it is very tasty! Thank you, hubby!

Time for school!

This morning Daniel and I were playing in the yard when I happened to notice our teenage neighbor walking down the street with an armload of books. My, he is up early, I thought to myself. And then I realized...today is the first day of school!!! Daniel and I also saw our little five-year-old neighbor boy, who was getting in the car with his parents and going to his first day of kindergarten. As we walked around the yard, we saw several mini vans and two buses all headed toward the school. I was suddenly swept away with that anxious, excited feeling I always have when school begins. I could almost smell the squeaky clean hallways and the sharpened pencils! I wished I had some new school supplies to open and put my name on. Ahhh!

And then the sudden thought struck me. In the blink of an eye, it will be a five-year-old Daniel climbing into our car, as we head off to the first day of kindergarten. Lump in my throat. Yet another reason to treasure every day we have here at home, just the two of us.

Daniel and I enjoyed some back to school fun at the library. We went for the very first story time of the new school year. The librarian read several books about fall and school, and I came home wanting to make a big pot of chili and attend a high school football game. I love fall!

Thankful for home and family

I am so thankful for where we live. I love small towns. I love being near our families. My parents, grandparents, aunt, uncle and first cousins all live in the same tiny town as us. Brian's family are all within a short driving distance. As I looked through the photos I had taken this past week, I realized that there were shots of Daniel being read to by his aunt and both uncles. What a lucky little boy to have so many people nearby who love him!

Homemade chocolate chips

Since Daniel is allergic to milk, eggs, and nuts, I have had to learn some things about making meals from scratch. Practically everything prepackaged from a loaf of bread to a can of soup contains something that Daniel cannot have. We have a health food store nearby that sells many allergen-free products, but they are quite expensive. So, I have found recipes to make many items that I would have never dreamed of making before our food allergy escapades. The most recent thing I have tried is homemade chocolate chips. Most store-bought chocolate chips contain milk, but I found a recipe here for ones without it. Making these chocolate chips was actually pretty easy. First, you combine sugar, coconut oil, and cocoa in a mason jar.

Then, you place the jar in a pan of water on the stove. Cook and stir until the sugar has completely dissolved. Add vanilla and pour the mixture into a 9 x 13 lined with wax paper.

Refrigerate until hardened and then break into small chunks. I guess these are actually chocolate chunks, not chips. But close enough, right?

I wish I would have cooked and stirred my chocolate mixture longer, because the sugar did not fully dissolve, so the chips were a little grainy. I used them in a recipe for allergen-free chocolate banana cake, and they still tasted great! I have devoured several pieces of the cake already, but wouldn't you know that the little man who I actually baked it for will not eat a single bite. He prefers Oreos. Sigh.

At least he shares...

Happy Half-Birthday, Baby Man!

Daniel turned 1 1/2 years old today! At this busy age, his favorite toys are tractors, trucks, and trains. He also likes building block towers and scribbling with any writing utensil he can find. In fact, I just finished scrubbing red crayon off the toilet seat. His favorite foods are hot dogs, gummy fruit snacks, and black olives. Yes, I know, not exactly the most healthy selections, but what can I do? He loves playing with Annie, having books read to him, watching Sesame Street, and splashing in his swimming pool. These are precious days, my friends, and we are trying to treasure each and every one.

Corn Party

We had a corn party at our house on Sunday afternoon! What, you might ask, is a corn party? Well, my dad had planted sweet corn in part of one field. It has just ripened, so he picked 6 feed sacks full. He and my brother shucked it and cut off the ends. Then, they brought it to our house where Brian and I helped to wash it, blanch it, cut it off the cob, bag it, and freeze it. We put up 60 pints on Sunday and another 26 pints on Monday. That's a lot of corn!






My mom had perhaps the most important job...babysitting Daniel!